


Some Semblance of Normality

by Revasnaslan



Series: Lilacs and Wisteria [16]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, M/M, Voltron Secret Santa 2k17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-09 17:23:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12892983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revasnaslan/pseuds/Revasnaslan
Summary: Sometimes, you just need cuddles.—Written for the 2017 Voltron Secret Santa.





	Some Semblance of Normality

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aretia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aretia/gifts).



> This was written for the [Voltron Secret Santa](http://voltron-ss.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr. I hope you like fluff aretia <3

Thace was normally a stickler for protocol. Ulaz knew that, and yet he had appeared outside the door to Thace’s cabin at who-knew-what time in the middle of the night cycle. Thace had been asleep when he heard the knocking on his door, and he had nearly ignored it, half believing he was hearing things. When he found Ulaz standing there on the other side of the door, he could tell just based on the set of Ulaz’s ears—drawn back against the sides of his head, twitching almost incessantly—that Ulaz was bothered by something.

Thace didn’t ask any questions—didn’t see the point in it. It didn’t seem like Ulaz _wanted_ to talk anyway, and Thace wasn’t going to pressure him. Without a word, he stepped aside to let Ulaz in, but not without checking the hall just to make sure nobody saw them. It was better to be safe than sorry.

Even though Thace’s bunk was much too small to fit both of them, Thace could live with it.

He and Ulaz only spoke to one another during information exchanges, or the rare occasion when Ulaz was covering a shift for one of the other medical officers. Neither scenario allowed for soft touches, or quiet purrs, or ear scratches, or cuddling—even if the information exchanges occasionally led to Ulaz impulsively nuzzling or kissing him before they were forced to separate and scatter after hearing sentry patrols. It had been… a _long_ time since he and Ulaz had been able to just sleep in each other’s company. Thace had missed it… he had missed Ulaz.

A _lot_ , actually.

Thace knew that he shouldn’t be allowing this—Ulaz cuddled against his side, purring in contentment as he began dozing. If Kolivan could have seen them now, he would have been lecturing them for slipping up like this. Anyone could come by Thace’s room, and unlike Thace, Ulaz couldn’t comfortably fit into the ducts of the Central Hub. But Thace sighed and pushed those thoughts from his mind, slowly being lulled to sleep by Ulaz’s purring. He would allow this, just for tonight.

He regretted it in the morning, when his alarm went off, indicating his shift was set to start in half a varga. Ulaz’s scent flooded his senses, and he felt the weight of Ulaz’s arm across his middle, Ulaz’s face pressed into the side of his neck, their legs tangled together beneath the sheets. In his half-awake state, all Thace could hear after shutting off his alarm was Ulaz’s soft purring, which rumbled deep in his chest. Thace found himself purring back absently. He tried—fought—to will himself to get out of bed, even as he felt his lids growing heavy again, and he yawned wide, rubbing his eyes with the hand that wasn’t currently trapped beneath his bondmate.

His room was warm, soft, _familiar_ , for the first time in rotations… it was a nice change from the suffocating loneliness that normally permeated his cabin. But even though he wanted nothing more than to stay here, he had to get up. If someone came looking for him when he didn’t show up to the bridge on time, it would only end badly. He couldn’t afford for anyone to find him and Ulaz like this. So, he began to shift away—or rather, _tried_ to shift away—and roll out of bed. However, Ulaz tightened his hold, and didn’t seem too intent on letting go. A grumble left him as he blinked at Thace with bleary eyes.

“I have to go,” Thace whispered.

Ulaz didn’t respond. He just held Thace tighter. Thace let out a soft sigh, bumping their foreheads together, and Ulaz pressed back against the touch. He was acting like he had back when they were younger and stationed on the main base, before being stationed on a Central Hub. Most of those mornings had been filled with soft headbutts, nuzzles, nose brushes—

But that was not how it could be right now.

Eventually, Thace managed to wiggle free, in spite of Ulaz’s grumbled protests. Then, he left Ulaz in his room, assuming he could show himself out when it was time for his own shift—but not before butting their foreheads together again, letting their noses brush for a tick before pulling away.

—

Thace tried to go about his day as he usually did. Evidently, though, he was not acting as normally as he thought he was. Many of his superiors noted that he seemed much more chipper than he usually did—and none of them could place why, considering he was uninvolved, as far as they knew. That was a deliberate choice on his part, although he did make passing mentions of someone he had left behind back on his home planet when he had been called into the Empire’s service. He never mentioned any names, as he wanted to avoid creating a trail that could lead back to Ulaz. So, he played his brighter mood off as just a result of being better rested than normal. It was not a total lie… he had slept much better than he usually did with Ulaz at his side for the night. Doing so had offered a return to some semblance of normalcy that he hadn’t had in a long time, even if it had gone against protocol.

However, when Thace returned to his room and opened the door following his shift, he was greeted by the opposite of what he had been expecting to find.

Ulaz was still there, buried underneath a pile of blankets—quite possibly every blanket that Thace had in his room—and hugging one of his Thace’s pillows close as he snoozed. He appeared to be sound asleep, and purr rumbled deep in his chest as his ears twitched. For once, Ulaz appeared to be completely at ease. And thank the stars he was actually _resting_ instead of overworking himself. When the door slid shut behind Thace with a faint hiss, Ulaz’s ears pinned back and his head shot up as he let out a soft, surprised sounding chirp. He blinked blearily, only half-awake, but he visibly relaxed upon recognizing Thace and collapsed back onto the bed again.

“Did you not go to your shift?” Thace asked, settling down on the edge of the bed. He reached out, lightly running his hand over Ulaz’s crest before moving down behind his ears until Ulaz leaned into the touch. His purring slowly became louder until it started to sound like a fighter engine. He seemed to be having trouble stopping it long enough to answer Thace’s question, so Thace’s hand paused until Ulaz’s purring evened out a bit.

“I had the day off, so I stayed in here…” Ulaz admitted. “I hope that’s not a problem?”

“Now, why in the Void would that be a problem?” Thace asked, tilting his head to the side fondly.

Ulaz scoffed. “Because you’re a stickler for protocol.”

Thace huffed in mock indignation. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” he said, even as he began lightly scratching along Ulaz’s jaw. “Do you want me to keep petting your ears or not?”

“Yes, please…” Ulaz mumbled.

“I’m glad that you actually got some rest, love…” Thace said. A soft chuckle left him as Ulaz’s ears twitched at the endearment and he butted his head against Thace’s hand again.

Thace knew why Ulaz had stayed in here all day—it was the same reason that Thace had found himself more relaxed all day. Being in the presence of one’s bondmate had a tendency to calm them, and being surrounded by Thace’s scent had done wonders for putting Ulaz at ease after what had been a presumably rough evening. Rough enough that it had finally shoved him over the edge and driven him to seek out Thace for emotional support and comfort.

Considering Ulaz had been reduced to a boneless heap in Thace’s lap, and he didn’t seem intent on moving anytime soon, he was _definitely_ at ease now. Thace would let him have that, at least.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [revasnaslan](http://revasnaslan.tumblr.com/)  
> beta'd by: [Akumeoi](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumeoi/pseuds/Akumeoi)


End file.
